Author's Note: This fanfic is not new but I'm posting it here because I've stopped maintaining my website. I'd really appreciate any reviews!

Esther didn't know what she expected to find upon arriving early for her first day at work. She'd been interviewed at the local career center in Rome two weeks ago. Without much fuss, she'd been hired on the spot. Since then, she hadn't made much of an effort to visit her new job placement until her actual start date.

And now here she was.

In the middle of one of Rome's busiest cobblestone-carriage routes stood a tacky looking green and yellow and pink building. At the top of the hut-shaped building hung a sign that read 'AX Burgers'.

Ugh! I wish I hadn't been scammed by that nice puppet master and lost all my inheritance. I never should have invested in a doll shop.

Esther hung her head in shame. Sooner or later she would have to make an honest living and now was as good a time as any to start. Swallowing her pride and ignoring the ugly colored burger hut, Esther marched in through the revolving glass doors.

Inside – the fast-food joint was empty.

"May I help you?" A blonde-haired lady with thick, haywire curls approached Esther.

"Um… yes… my name is Esther Branssiere. There might be very little that I can do. Very little that I can understand. But I'd like to work here," she said in a very meek voice.

The blonde lady stretched out a hand and shook Esther's. "I'm Miss Caterina Sforza, the owner of AX Burgers. But you can call me Ma'am. Come this way."

"Yes Ma'am!" Esther hurriedly followed the lady who obviously expected her to get straight to work. As they approached the cash register, Esther caught sight of an equally unfriendly looking man with red eyes. He glared at Esther, sizing her up.

"This is Tres Iqus. He is head cashier."

"Pleased to meet you." Esther bowed.

"Introductions are a waste of time." Tres turned from Esther to face the doorway once more, maybe hoping to see a customer.

"Oh… I'm sorry."

"Negative. I have no use for apologies. Be forewarned that I count every penny in every register at exactly 1:35am."

Noticing that Caterina had vanished on up ahead, Esther hurried to catch up. They walked around the counter and past the cash registers to the kitchen. That was where Esther encountered a tall young man with long silver hair. He was flipping burgers… onto the floor. "Oh dear!" She exclaimed, further horrified when Caterina slapped him over the head.

"You idiot! How many times do you need to be taught how to use a spatula?!"

"Sorry. I'm really sorry. Please forgive me."

"This is Abel Nightroad. He's the only employee to ever receive a pay reduction during his probationary period."

"Oh, you poor thing." Esther touched Abel on the arm, startled when he pushed her away.

"My older brother doesn't let other people touch me, especially girls," Abel said apologetically.

"Your older brother must care a lot about you," Esther said with a big happy smile.

"I'm sure that you're wrong," Abel said, shaking his head. "He does horrible things to people. Really horrible things."

"Come along." Caterina dragged Esther away.

"His brother can't be that terrible," Esther said naively.

"Abel's brother is the infamous Cain the Decapitator. I assure you that this entire company worries about the day that Cain will be released from prison."

"THE Cain the Decapitator? Why do you let him work here then?"!

Caterina shrugged. "He joined the union."

They approached the drive-thru area where a very scantily dressed, busty woman was sitting on the window ledge. Although not a single item was being ordered, a long line of cars with overeager young men at the wheels were waiting to catch a glimpse of her. And her low cut shirt.

"This is Noelle Bor. She has the highest sales record in the company."

"Wow!" Esther looked impressed. "What is the most popular item on the menu then?"

"Me!" Noelle laughed heartily, waving to the boys outside.

Esther just looked stunned and red-faced.

"Then we have the butcher that works inside the refrigerator." Caterina continued, not noticing that Esther was quickly losing her zeal for the fast food industry. "Hugue, this is Esther. Our newest cashier."

"Fresh meat," the partially naked man snickered. His long wavy blonde hair hung down his shoulders, the tips drenched in pig's blood. He held out his hand to shake Esther's, and was put off when she backed away instead.

"Your hands… they're dirty," she protested.

"So?"

"Um… Caterina?"

"MAAM!" Caterina corrected her.

"I've been thinking… maybe this isn't the type of job that suits me best. Maybe…" Esther's eyes widened at the sight of a long, dark-haired man slaughtering pigs outside in the parking lot. His hands would glow, and then he would touch the pigs and their skin would melt off and… "I'm sorry. Really! I have to go!" Covering her mouth with both hands, Esther fled from the building.

"Honey! Leaving so soon?" Noelle called out.

"Don't tell my brother anything!" Abel pleaded as she dashed past him.

"Don't come again," Tres said emotionlessly as she flew out the door.

"My, my! She was a feisty one," Isaak mused as he entered the building with his new trophy for Hugue to carve up. "Do you think she'll return?"

"I hope so. There are so few girls in this country that would agree to serve burgers while wearing a nun's habit." Caterina sighed. "Now… GET BACK TO WORK!" Having given her order of the day, Caterina pulled out her whip and set herself to the task of running her business.

The End